Pouring Oil on a Burning Fire
by Ellcrys
Summary: Barnaby needs to blow off some steam. Kotetsu, disapproving of his methods, offers an alternative. As usual, Kotetsu's planned course of action may not be the wisest.


_RPed with akatonbo, and converted from the log to single viewpoint._

_ Timeline is not terribly important, but given the combination of stuff that characters know and characters don't know, this would pretty much have to take place between episodes 9 and 10._

**Pouring Oil on a Burning Fire is Not the Way to Quench It**

The robbers had been caught, the hostages rescued, the stolen property recovered... and finally the cameras were off, save for a group of reporters that held Sky High, unsurprisingly the points champion of the day, behind for interviews as the rest of the heroes departed the scene. Unfortunately for Kotetsu, Dr. Saito was waiting for them in Apollon's mobile HQ van, and he didn't approve of the way Kotetsu and Barnaby had handled his most recent improvements  
>to his masterwork. With Barnaby's tendency not to socialize (perhaps intentionally this time), most of Saito's attention was on Kotetsu, and even if his voice was quiet, he could put up an argument, much to Kotetsu's annoyance.<p>

At the very least, they were out of their power suits by the time the van pulled into the docking bay at the HeroTV studios. Kotetsu headed for the open training and waiting area between the locker rooms, where some of the others were still winding down from the fight. Most of them looked tired, though when Kotetsu glanced at his partner, who was following, he thought Barnaby looked sort of... twitchy. Wound up.

Well, he hadn't been doing this so long. Kotetsu was pretty well wound down already by that point, his five minutes having run out a little before Barnaby's, and even if it had been a tough job, there hadn't been anything particularly unusual about the whole thing this time. No death or injury to anyone involved, no interference (though Barnaby would probably beg to differ), minimal property damage that _probably_ wouldn't result in any fines... Well, either way, the hostages were safe, right?

"Ahhh, guess we can call it a night," he remarked, more or less to himself, with a stretch and a yawn as he grabbed his regular clothes from his locker and returned. "I bet I'll sleep well."

It was Karina, and not Barnaby, who got the shot in as she made for the door - not really expecting a response, since she was only narrowly not going to be late for a gig. "Is that what happens when you get old? The night's barely started, and you're falling asleep already?" Barnaby gave a quiet snicker at that, and Kotetsu shot him a glare without any serious bite behind it.

"Most of us can't party like we're seventeen anymore," Nathan mock-complained as he stood up.

"Is everyone older than me worn out already?" Barnaby asked. "That doesn't bode well for the city if there's another emergency."

"I'm not completely done for the night," Antonio spoke up, heading towards his locker with helmet in hand. "In fact, I was planning on getting a drink or two before heading home. Kotetsu?"

That perked Kotetsu up a little from the beginnings of a mock sulk. "I'm good for it. You and I wouldn't be of any use anyway," he added, turning to Barnaby. "If there's another emergency, we'd just have to sit and wait."

"Only if it's in the next hour or so, old man," Barnaby pointed out.

"Besides, how's that any different than usual?" Antonio called from inside the locker room with a chuckle, and Kotetsu threw his hat at him.

On the way back from retrieving it, he found himself eyeing Barnaby. He still looked tense. ...Kotetsu had no idea what Bunny did for fun, if he even had fun. Or anyone to have fun with.

"...Hey," he suggested, "anyone else want to come along?" By which he actually meant Bunny, but he wouldn't have minded if Nathan joined them either.

Barnaby turned a dubious look on Kotetsu. Nathan slung a towel over his shoulder, saying, "Well, I'm not done for the night, but before I go out anywhere, I need a shower."

Kotetsu was expecting Barnaby's brush-off to just have been delayed by the interruption, so he was completely baffled when, instead, Barnaby turned to Nathan and asked, "Want company?"

...Kotetsu was pretty sure he couldn't have heard what he just thought he'd heard. Maybe he'd gotten mixed up somehow, and thought Bunny said something Nathan had actually said. Yeah, that was...

It made sense, but considering there had been no reply, and the way Nathan was looking at Barnaby... it kind of made it look like...

Nathan didn't seem to have expected it any more than Kotetsu had; on his way over toward the lockers, he paused and turned to give Barnaby a considering look over his shoulder. Kotetsu couldn't decide what he thought of that. Possibly because his brain had shut down at the mere suggestion.

Barnaby was looking back at Nathan squarely, nothing speculative about it, nothing unspoken in his expression besides, 'yes, I said that'. Kotetsu was beyond confused.

After a few moments, Nathan apparently reached some conclusion about what he thought was going on... and glanced sidelong at Kotetsu for a moment, his lips twitching as he stifled a smirk. He ran his gaze deliberately down, then back up, the line of Barnaby's body in the snug black bodysuit he wore under the power suit, and then turned the mock-sly flirtatiousness all the way back up to eleven as he replied, "Maybe another time, Handsome."

Barnaby had no verbal reply to make to that, just a small nod, and a slightly cross glance at Kotetsu himself.

What, Kotetsu wondered? Why were they looking at him? What did he have to do with this? None of this made any sense. Unless... He broke into a nervous chuckle, turning away. Okay, yeah - it was okay. Good, even! He'd never heard Bunny tease anyone playfully like that before - it was progress! That was it.

Nathan gave Barnaby... or maybe it was Kotetsu... an ostentatious wink before sashaying into the locker room. See? Teasing, Kotetsu told himself. And they'd even been good and waited until Karina and Ivan and Pao-lin weren't around to make jokes like that.

On the other hand, Barnaby didn't look like he was teasing, and he didn't look like he thought anything out of the ordinary had happened. "I'll pass on the bar," he said belatedly.

"Are you sure?" Now that Kotetsu had cleared it all up in his mind, he was quite pleased. "It's good to see you lighten up for a change," he told Barnaby, with a teasing look of his own. "You _do_ have a sense of humor in there, huh...?"

Barnaby gave Kotetsu another dubious look. "I do," he acknowledged, "but I haven't got the foggiest idea what you're talking about, old man."

"Hah!" Kotetsu pointed a finger at him. "Of course not! You're _never_ too serious, after all. I mean... come on..."

...His smile grew slightly more uneasy. Bunny _had_ been joking, right?

The look on Barnaby's face got even more dubious, and just a little impatient. "Since I'm not going out drinking," he said, "and I need a shower whether I'm joining anyone or not, I'm going home."

Kotetsu let out another uneasy laugh. "You're on a roll, there... with the joking... about..." His voice trailed off. "Uh, Bunny..."

Barnaby had turned to go collect his street clothes, but stopped to look back at Kotetsu. "Yes?"

Kotetsu didn't even know where to begin. "...Okay, say you _weren't_ just teasing him," Kotetsu said lightly, as if it weren't _completely_ insane to think so. "You can't just use a line like that and expect it to work. No one says things like that seriously."

"I'm not the sort of person who uses lines in the first place," Barnaby said, shrugging.

"Apparently not," Kotetsu muttered under his breath, stroking his chin thoughtfully. Bunny probably didn't have much experience at romancing people... it had taken him awhile to get to the point where he even knew how to be a passable acquaintance, let alone closer than that. Aha, that was it - he just didn't know any better. Well, Kotetsu knew a little something about romance. He'd been married, after all. Maybe he could help Bunny out...

"All right, first of all," he said, lowering his voice and resting a hand on Barnaby's shoulder, nudging him over towards the empty training rooms, away from the locker room where Antonio and Nathan were still getting changed. "You have to be more subtle. I've known Nathan for awhile now, and even if he flirts a lot, it's not like he means it either. I mean, he flirts with me - so you see, it's not meant to be serious. If you really... uh, want to, uh, get to someone..." And that idea was kind of disturbing somehow - how had Kotetsu missed this? Maybe because Bunny didn't know how to show it to begin with? "Well, you have to talk to them. Smile at them. Take them out to dinner... that kind of thing."

As he spoke, Barnaby's expression had been growing slowly more and more pained. "I do know how dating works," he stated.

"Good... good." Kotetsu didn't really believe that for a second, even if he'd seen plenty of evidence that Barnaby did at least know how to turn on the charm for the cameras and interviews. Kid grew up without parents, he probably didn't get to see any sort of healthy relationship model... "So, yeah - you don't need to toss out lines. Just be yourself. Or on second thought," he added, thinking better of that almost immediately, "be yourself, but... less rude."

Barnaby gave Kotetsu a withering look. "If I wanted to date someone, old man, I'd ask them on a date. On the other hand, if I want to know whether a colleague, one of the few people who's not a risk to cause bad publicity for our sponsors, might be interested in burning off some adrenaline, that's what I'm going to ask him."

Kotetsu actually was slightly taken aback. Not due to the withering look (those really didn't work on him anymore), but the realization of what Barnaby had been suggesting. "Oh... So you were just looking for... uh..." He frowned thoughtfully. "At least you're to the point."

"Yes, exactly," Barnaby said, vaguely irritated, or maybe just agitated.

Kotetsu thought about this for a moment. Also about the fact that it kind of made him uncomfortable to think about it, and he probably shouldn't be thinking about it anyway, because his partner's sex life was none of his business. For some reason, though... "That seems... kind of sad."

"I suppose you're entitled to your opinion," Barnaby said.

"It's just - you should have someone to do those things with who really cares about you," Kotetsu said earnestly. And he knew he probably shouldn't, but Barnaby had already missed out on so much, what with his parents and his never-ending search for their killers dominating his life to this point. Maybe it was stupid and idealistic of him, but Kotetsu wanted _something_ in Barnaby's life to work the way it ought to, and he couldn't help himself. "It's so much nicer with someone special, who really knows you, who'll stick with you even when things go wrong - who thinks of you as more than just a pretty face and a warm body."

"I don't have anyone like that," Barnaby said, as if he thought that should be obvious.

Which it... sort of was. Kotetsu drooped slightly. That was _definitely_ sad, if Bunny really didn't have anyone who cared about him. Then Kotetsu brightened. "Yes you do - you've got _me_."

Just for a moment, Barnaby looked poleaxed. Then he recovered his composure smoothly and gave Kotetsu a similar sort of considering look to the one that Nathan had given him, only smirkier. "Is that an offer, old man?"

Kotetsu froze. "Uh, well, um-" He hadn't meant it that way, and in fact the thought had never crossed his mind. Until that moment, and it didn't really cross his mind all the way, because his brain shut down again, fast. Not thinking about that. At all.

Instead, he laughed, scratching his head self-consciously. "Well, if you just want to burn off some adrenaline, I know a few things that could help with that part."

"That won't cause property damage, a media circus, or otherwise get anyone in trouble?" Barnaby was understandably doubtful.

"Not if you do it right," Kotetsu said with a nod. "This facility was built for us heroes to train in, remember? It can take a lot."

Barnaby gave Kotetsu the most incredulous look yet. "I'm not even going to try to count the reasons why that would be a bad idea."

"What?" Kotetsu asked innocently. "Don't you want to try to smash my face in?"

"Well, now that you mention it..." There was no heat in it, though, and Barnaby looked like he was actually considering it. "I thought you were tired, old man."

"I never said I was tired - I said I'd sleep well tonight," Kotetsu reminded him. "There's a difference. And I wouldn't mind showing you that this 'old man' wouldn't be as useless as you seemed to think if something else came up."

Barnaby glanced at Kotetsu, then down at himself - both of them still wearing the near-identical, skin-tight undersuits that protected them beneath their armor - and then back at Kotetsu. "So what you're suggesting is that instead of having sex, I should wrestle with you while we're dressed like this?"

"Yeah!" Kotetsu shrugged. "It's pretty obvious you don't find me appealing anyway." ...Or did that comment mean Bunny would consider it? Eh... Kotetsu decided it was easiest not to think about things like that. His brain had sustained enough serious injury tonight - and all after the actual fighting was over.

"If I try to follow your logic, I'll give myself a headache," Barnaby groused. "What do you even get out of me kicking your ass?"

"Even if I thought you could," Kotetsu pointed out (lying through his teeth - he knew better than to think he had enough strength in reserve to take on a more fully energized, younger opponent at that point), "it's not always about what I'd get out of it."

"I'm not sure I actually believe that even you are stupid-noble enough to volunteer to be a punching bag for someone else's benefit," Barnaby said skeptically.

"That so...?" Kotetsu gave him an appraising look. "Funny, you're always telling me how stupid I am - I would have thought you'd be happy to know you're right. But I'm not offering to be a punching bag," he added cheerfully. "I'm not quite stupid enough to just stand there - you'd have to catch me first. How about it?"

Barnaby shrugged. "It's your face."

Kotetsu's grin widened. "It's not going to be that easy. Plus - protective gear," he suggested, heading for a rack by the mats in the training area. "It would be no good for me to be out of commission if you do connect. Besides, you'd be out a partner."

"All right, you've given this more thought than I gave you credit for," Barnaby acknowledged, following.

"That's not exactly difficult," Kotetsu pointed out. Though honestly, he hadn't thought it through that much - he just knew what it was like to be unable to relax. It had helped sometimes to have someone around who...

...Oh. That reminded him. "Just a second," he muttered, heading back out by the locker room, only to find no one there - only his phone blinking amidst the pile of his street clothes that he'd deposited on a bench.

_Looked like you were busy with your partner, so I took off. Give me a call if you get done soon. -A_

Kotetsu wondered how much of that conversation Antonio might have heard... Well, at least he didn't have to try to explain.

Nathan seemed to have taken off too (possibly after groping Antonio's ass, Kotetsu thought, if Antonio had stuck around long enough to listen in), so Kotetsu nestled his phone in among his clothes again and headed back to grab some padding. "Not quite as easy to fight in this stuff," he remarked, strapping the gear onto his hands and feet, "and the headgear messes with my peripheral vision... but it's better than accidentally sending someone to the emergency room. I say that from experience..."

"Experience sending someone to the emergency room, or being sent there yourself?" Barnaby asked, starting to put on his own padded gear.

"Uh, a little of both." Kotetsu grinned sheepishly. "I was a little cocky back when I started out... thought that sort of thing really wasn't necessary. We're all NEXT, right? We can take it." And he'd done a lot of fighting in his time - a good percentage of it being without the use of his powers, being on a strict time limit as it was. Even if he wasn't quite as fast as he used to be, he had a lot of experience on his side. He bounced a little, pounding his fists together to check that everything was set. Seemed good.

Barnaby cleared his throat. "A little cocky, back when you started out?"

"Some things don't change," Kotetsu muttered, amused.

"Ground rules?" Barnaby went through a brief series of stances, testing his range of motion and the fit of the equipment.

"I dunno - you're the one who needed to blow off some steam," said Kotetsu, "and now that we've got a little protection, I don't think you can dish out anything I can't take. What do you think?"

"Standard common sense sparring guidelines, then. You said I'll have to catch you; I'll give you a head start."

"Not too much of a start - it wouldn't be fair." Not that the training room was a great place for a real rundown, not really that much room except over in the track, plenty of obstacles in the weight room that wouldn't be of much use... but Kotetsu had some moves he didn't often get to show off, and he didn't have to worry about anyone else in there getting hurt. He took off, heading towards the open area of the track. At least, it may have seemed that way...

"What's not fair about it? I'm younger and faster," Barnaby called after him. Kotetsu just made a scoffing noise and continued.

When Barnaby started after him, noticeably slower than Kotetsu knew he could run, it was obvious that he wasn't really intending to catch him yet. Well, that was no fun. But it was like Bunny, wasn't it, to be observing before acting...? Kotetsu decided to head out on the track after all. He wasn't moving at too fast a pace yet, not when Bunny wasn't seriously giving chase...

"Hey," he called back. "Whoever heard of a bunny chasing a tiger?"

"What kind of tiger runs from a bunny in the first place?" Barnaby called back, finally starting to close on him a little.

Kotetsu laughed and picked up speed himself, veering off towards one of the walls, like he was headed for the door that stood half-open there. Sounded like Bunny was starting to forget himself enough that he might even start _enjoying_ himself at some point.

Well, Kotetsu would keep him occupied; instead of going through the door, he ran up the wall next to it, kicking off to go practically over Barnaby's head in the opposite direction. Barnaby made a stop-on-a-dime spin and turn to keep following. All right, didn't throw him off that badly. Good as Kotetsu was at pulling off those kinds of acrobatics, he had more than one trick up his sleeve. Fortunate, since Barnaby caught on quick.

Barnaby _was_ pretty quick, for that matter. He probably spent more time training than Kotetsu did, so he had that on his side as well as youth when it came to both his speed and his stamina. Kotetsu was already a little slower than he should have been, a little more winded. Still easily a match for your standard criminal, he reassured himself, but maybe not a trained athlete, or another NEXT. But he knew how to use that to his advantage too. When Barnaby had nearly caught up, close enough to strike, Kotetsu stopped short, ducking under his arm, and elbowed him in the side. Not too hard, of course.

When Kotetsu elbowed him, Barnaby lunged, feet leaving the ground as he tried to tackle the other man. Since Kotetsu was already low to the ground, the easiest way to evade a tackle was to go into a roll. It was also a convenient way to get momentum going again, and he took off, his laugh perhaps betraying the fact that he was already breathing a little heavy. But hey, it had been a long day.

Barnaby landed in a roll as well, somersaulting back onto his feet and giving chase even faster, trying to push Kotetsu into slowing down so he had to dodge more than run. And Kotetsu was pretty good at dodging - you had to be, when the overpowered, possibly armed opponent was still near full capacity and your power had just run out. It wasn't his usual way, but he was smiling nonetheless as he found creative ways to slip just past Barnaby's reach.

He didn't have time to look, and he probably wouldn't see anything even if he did, but... he kind of wondered if Bunny might be smiling to himself too.

He could feel himself getting worn out, though - he hadn't been all keyed up the way Barnaby was - and he supposed he wasn't going to be able to evade Barnaby much longer. That was fine. It would be interesting to see what he could do without the suit or his powers.

Sounded like Barnaby's playful side might be showing itself after all. "You can't run forever, old man," he called.

"No reason why not, if you can't catch me!" It wasn't like Kotetsu was going to just give up. Bunny had to work for it. That was what he wanted anyway... or at least, that's what Kotetsu figured he wanted. It was kind of ironic, Kotetsu thought idly. It seemed like he'd been chasing after Bunny - the "real" Barnaby Brooks Jr., not the face he showed the world - almost since they met. It was nice to have him exerting some effort to chase after Kotetsu for a change.

He ran into trouble when Barnaby started trying to out-think him instead of out-run him. When Barnaby zigged one way, Kotetsu zagged in the other direction... and he might have figured out that Barnaby was trying to make him do exactly that, if he wasn't already tired enough to get a little sloppy. Since it wasn't a real battle, he didn't gripe at himself too hard when he realized he'd been set up.

Barnaby wheeled, dropped into a half crouch, and then sprung, launching himself at Kotetsu with his shoulders about on the level of Kotetsu's ribcage, trying to knock him to the ground. Instead of trying to get entirely out of the way, Kotetsu turned with that leap, grabbing hold of Barnaby's arm and using his own momentum to send him past. He spun as well, setting himself in a defensive stance.

Barnaby landed in a roll again, and rolled right back onto his feet, pausing for just a moment to catch his breath before coming at Kotetsu again. He faked to the left before darting right at the last moment. The fake-out only worked for a second - Kotetsu got his arms up quickly to block an incoming blow, but he wasn't sure what exactly Barnaby was planning. He'd already observed his partner worked with his feet more than with his hands, so he was assuming a kick, but one never knew...

Another fake - Barnaby threw a punch, and missed badly... but the punch was mostly a cover for hooking a leg around behind Kotetsu's to drop him to the floor. Kotetsu hadn't been expecting that at all, and with his legs already tired from running, he couldn't move fast enough to get out of the way. All he could do was go down hard on his side - and snake an arm out to hopefully pull Barnaby down with him.

It seemed Barnaby had anticipated that risk, though, and let himself be brought down, only to use Kotetsu's body to break his fall.

Kotetsu grunted at the impact; Barnaby was muscular, therefore heavy. He managed to right himself enough to get an arm around Barnaby, rolling them over and attempting to pin him. Bunny had said something about wanting to wrestle, right? Kotetsu had been focusing too much on the contest to still be smiling, but he was satisfied nonetheless.

Bunny wasn't easily pinned, twisting to find the leverage to reverse their positions. Now this was fun, Kotetsu thought. Not that the rest of it hadn't been fun too, but he was all in favor of one-on-one struggles. And while he might not have had the muscle mass he'd had a few years back, he knew some good holds, how to place his knees for stability. He actually growled a little as he struggled to keep the upper hand. Barnaby was pretty slippery - and abruptly on top of him, as he managed to get an elbow down and flip them over.

Then, suddenly, Barnaby froze.

Kotetsu peered up at him curiously; the look Barnaby was giving him was unreadable, but certainly... intense. And with Barnaby staring down at him, pinning his shoulders, legs half-tangled in each other, both of them breathing heavily... it occurred to Kotetsu that Barnaby had actually suggested that maybe wrestling in tight clothing when he'd already been thinking about sex was _not_ the best idea.

Another realization Kotetsu had - it had been a _damn_ long time since he'd been in this sort of position with anyone who wasn't actually trying to kill him.

This was ... just a little uncomfortable all of a sudden. Thinking quickly, Kotetsu did the only thing he could think of to break himself out of it: he gave Barnaby a big cheesy (and maybe just a little self-conscious) grin. Not serious at all. Nope.

The moment of distraction was brief, and just as suddenly Barnaby rolled off Kotetsu and onto his feet. "...I think that's enough of that," he said, looking down and immediately beginning to remove his padded gear.

Not avoiding Kotetsu's eyes or anything, just... busy. Kotetsu managed to groan (though perhaps it didn't sound wholly like the disappointed groan he'd intended for it to sound like), and stayed where he was, flat on his back, letting his muscles relax. "I was just about to make my move..." Well, he would have, if he hadn't been distracted for a moment too.

Barnaby sounded normal, at least. "Too slow, old man."

"Guess so. Whew!" Kotetsu just stayed where he was, all sprawled out on the floor. He was thinking exactly clearly enough to know he wasn't thinking clearly. "Well, we know how to wear me out, now... I'm beat. Bed's gonna feel really good now..." Even if he'd be in it alone. Yeah. Nice soft blanket... just a bed. Yep. Still fine.

Barnaby headed for the racks of protective gear, unbuckling pieces of it as he went. "I feel... a lot closer to normal," he conceded.

Normal... Kotetsu wasn't so sure he agreed. He felt kind of disoriented. Maybe the rest of them were right, and he was getting old. But at the moment, he felt downright young. Everything felt... real. The hard floor pressing against his shoulderblades and hips, the fuzziness of his vision where the headgear just barely came into view, his sudden confused feelings...

He lay there for a little longer, staring up at the ceiling and thinking - but he made himself roll to his feet eventually. It wasn't like he was going to spend the whole night there.

Slightly subdued, he followed Barnaby over to the racks, unbuckling his own gear on the way. "So everything's okay, then?" he asked. Just to be sure.

"Yeah." Barnaby looked okay, at least, as he unfastened the headgear, removed it, and shook his hair out. "You?"

"Yup." Why did Bunny have to do that? It made him look like a girl. Sort of. Okay, not really like a girl, but... Kotetsu hung up his gear and sighed - he wasn't going to think any further down that road. "Maybe I'll take a pass on that drink with Antonio, though. But if I could help you out, I'm glad," he added, more upbeat, because he meant it.

"...I really don't get you, old man," Barnaby said. "But thanks."

Normally, Kotetsu might have asked what wasn't to get. But sometimes Kotetsu didn't get himself either. "No problem," was all he said, with a grin and another long stretch.

"It's about time I went home," Barnaby remarked, after a somewhat awkward pause.

"Yeah, same here." Kotetsu glanced back towards the locker room, considered, and decided maybe it was better if he didn't take a shower there. He could use one, but... considering the exchange that had led him to make his offer to begin with, it might not have been the wisest idea to advertise the fact. He scratched his head absently. "See you next time we get a call, I guess."

Barnaby nodded, and headed for his locker to get his things together. Kotetsu let out a deep breath. He should have been doing the same, but he supposed it would be best to give Barnaby a little space for the time being. Instead, he fiddled with the equipment, making sure it was all hung up neatly, straight and organized... Anyone who knew him would probably think he'd gone crazy.

He didn't have to fiddle too long. Barnaby came back out in his street clothes quickly - so quickly Kotetsu knew he must have thrown them on over the black spandex - and gave Kotetsu a nod of acknowledgement on his way out. Once he was gone, Kotetsu took the time to actually change, and left a text for Antonio on his way out to the lot. It wasn't far to his apartment, and then...

It made sense, he decided, thinking it over while he showered. Barnaby had been all worked up, he'd been wanting to have sex with someone - maybe anyone, from the sound of it. He was probably throwing off pheromones all over the place. That was what had made Kotetsu think he was interested. Just the right combination of factors hitting him all at once.

And it was a good thing, because he didn't get involved with people casually, and Barnaby didn't seem to be interested in anything but casually. Kotetsu just hoped it didn't happen again. Maybe he could try to find a nice girl for Bunny, someone he could cultivate a real relationship with...

Oh, who was he kidding? He didn't know a lot of girls; some of them were definitely not nice (Agnes), and they were mostly too old or too young. On the other hand, maybe Barnaby wasn't even into girls, all things considered. And he did know a lot more guys. But he had no reason to know whether most of them were into guys.

...Maybe he could ask Nathan. Nathan probably knew a lot of guys who were into guys.

Or maybe he could mind his own business, like Bunny was always telling him, but that wasn't really his way. Plus, for some reason the whole thing had left Kotetsu unsettled - he didn't know why, but it just bugged him.

And although his bed did feel good when he finally made it there, it also felt really empty.

* * *

><p>(OMAKE!)<p>

"Hey - Fire Emblem!" Kotetsu caught up with Nathan a couple days later, in the training area. "Can I, uh, talk to you for a second? Alone?" he added, and cast a glance at Pao-lin, who was working out across the room.

Nathan raised an eyebrow and sat up from the weight machine he was using. "Dare I dream?" he teased. "In five minutes we could be in my apartment..."

Kotetsu grinned. "Nah, we don't need to go that far. Just..." He gestured subtly towards Pao-lin again. "No one's by the track right now."

"I see." Nathan didn't, exactly, but Kotetsu didn't usually come to him with personal things. He couldn't help but be intrigued.

Once they had put a distance between themselves and anyone else, Kotetsu finally started to explain. "Basically... you've got a lot of connections I don't have. Especially in the department of men seeking men."

"Oh, honey!" Nathan chirped, chucking Kotetsu under the chin. "Seek no further!"

Kotetsu shook his head, chuckling. "Not for me - for Bunny."

"Oh?" Now this was interesting.

"I think he could really use some stability in his life - someone to come home to at the end of the day, that kind of thing," Kotetsu explained, and then scratched his head a little sheepishly. "And, uh, after the other night... well, I think he prefers men to women. And I don't really know a whole lot of men who would be up for that."

Very interesting. "So in other words," Nathan concluded, "you're looking for a matchmaker."

"Something like that." Kotetsu shrugged. "I don't know - I just thought you might know someone who'd be good for Bunny."

"Well, that depends." Nathan didn't usually do this kind of thing, but Kotetsu was a good guy, and Barnaby was intriguing in his own prickly way - and the fact that Kotetsu was asking him about this was funny for reasons that Kotetsu himself apparently didn't realize. Nathan decided he'd humor him for the time being. "What type of man do you think Handsome would like?"

"I don't know, exactly," Kotetsu admitted with a thoughtful frown. "I'm thinking... someone outgoing. Bunny doesn't get out much - he needs someone who can teach him what life's like outside his apartment. And definitely they need to be an optimist, because Bunny's almost enough of a killjoy to depress me," Kotetsu added absently.

"Uh-huh..."

"A little rough around the edges, maybe. Someone needs to show him it's okay to not always be perfect. But no one younger - he's immature enough that he'd never make it with a younger partner," Kotetsu continued. "Someone his own age or maybe a little older, so they can take care of him a little when he needs it. Someone stable, who gets how the world works."

"Mm-hmm..." Yes, this was so far going as Nathan had expected.

"Oh, but not _too_ smart," Kotetsu added. "Bunny's really intelligent, and from what I've seen, really intelligent people like being seen that way. So not an idiot, but someone who's not quite as bright as he is, so he can still be the smart one."

"Interesting observation," Nathan noted. "Where did you get that idea?"

"Well, between me and my wife, she had the brains," Kotetsu admitted. "She used to say I made her look good... and even if she was kidding, I think there's a grain of truth there. Bunny'd probably appreciate it too."

"You don't say." This was just _too_ funny.

"So... yeah," Kotetsu finished. "Does that sound like anyone you know?"

Nathan rested his chin in his hand, pretending to think. "Now that you mention it, it does," he mused, tapping his index finger against his lips theatrically. "But I'm not sure... he might just be a little too slow. And I'm not sure if he's on the market."

"Oh." Kotetsu nodded knowingly, and Nathan tried to suppress a smirk. "Well, it might be worth a shot anyway. If he's interested, let me know - I've got Bunny's number."

Nathan considered letting him know that very moment... but no. "Of course I will," he lied. This was far too entertaining to let it end so quickly. Though it was a pity he'd have to rule out that little chat he'd been thinking of having with Barnaby sometime down the line, about exactly what he'd been suggesting that one evening.


End file.
